Mercedes GLC will get a fuel-cell variant

Yet another powertrain variant is in the works for the Mercedes-Benz GLC, the recently renamed and redesigned compact crossover.

Mercedes had confirmed plans for a diesel-powered GLC coming late next year, and an AMG Sport performance variant for the U.S. It's also working on a plug-in hybrid.

Now comes word that Mercedes has finalized engineering plans for a hydrogen-powered GLC, using a newly developed fuel cell stack. "We are targeting a combined range for the fuel cell and battery of up to 600 km [373 miles], along with a refueling time for the hydrogen tanks of three minutes," Mercedes r&d chief Thomas Weber told Britain's Autocar.

The new model is scheduled to be unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show in 2017, with sales beginning in 2018, the report said.

Weber told Autocar that the persistently high cost of the fuel stack makes a hydrogen vehicle commercially viable only in higher-end vehicles.